Vulnerable
by Kyokukou
Summary: Nothing can stop Ranma. No matter what the fight, the blow, the technique, he'll always be okay. One day Ranma's invincibility proves false.


Vulnerable  
  
By Kyokukou  
  
Disclaimer : I don't own the characters from Ranma 1/2 only the characters that   
I write myself . So please don't sue me ! But if you try to use my characters   
.....there will be ...unpleasant consequences if I find out . Do not repost or   
reprint this without my permission , however if you do ASK there is a good   
chance I will let you .  
  
  
  
  
" When you're trapped in your body like some prison you have a lot of time to   
think Doctor , a Lot of time . So you think and you think deeper and longer than   
you ever thought possible . That's what I've been doing , and I've found some   
things in my head I don't know how to describe ."  
-Saotome Ranma   
  
  
  
" Shit ! Shit ! SHIT !!" He screamed over and over in his mind . Of all the   
chaotic battles of before this had to be some sort of climax .  
As always , it had started out as a normal spat between Akane and himself .   
Then Kuno showed up ... then Kodachi , with Ryouga following her , soon everyone   
except for Cologne , Happosai , and Mousse were in the wild free-for-all-melee .  
Of course the prize and target of choice was himself . However , for the   
moment he was airborne and out of anyone's sights . Kuno , was not so lucky .  
" Call me that again and I'll kill you stickboy !" Ryouga snarled at Kuno .  
" As you requested : You are a mere swine with a parasol , unfit to soil fair   
Akane's shadow !"   
" DIE !" Ryouga screamed as he charged a Shishihodokan .  
" You owe me , brother mine ." Kodachi cackled as she snared her older brother   
with her ribbon and pulled him out of harm's way .  
" SHISHIHODOKAN HAAAAA!!!" Ryouga screamed , releasing the ball of heavy ki .  
Predictably it sailed past Kuno . Unpredictably , it struck a eighteen   
wheeler that happened to be racing down the street at twice the speed limit .   
The ki ball shredded half of the cab and tore six wheels from the speeding   
behemoth . The hulking machine toppled over onto its side in a lazy spin that   
ended with the truck rolling on its side , its speed apparently unreduced .  
He had long since landed on the corner of a roof . Now he looked down the   
street at the projected path of destruction . Time seemed to have slowed down   
more than it had ever before in all his battles . Something deep inside him   
screamed that something was about to go horribly wrong .  
Two people stood in the middle of a crosswalk , frozen in terror of the   
hurtling death that rolled towards them . Long years of experience told him that   
even if they did break and run they would both still be caught . No one else was   
taking action , everyone was either still fighting -unmindful of the truck- or   
frozen in place . Aw hell , it was always him anyway . Why should things be   
different now ? He leapt towards the pair with all the force his legs could   
produce .   
Again , long years of experience began predicting , future actions being   
rejected or accepted the instant they were thought . The pair consisted of a   
teen and a young girl somewhere between fourth and sixth grade . If he tried to   
gather both up and leap away none of them would make it . If he tried to push   
both them to safety and leap then both of them would suffer whiplash ,   
dislocations , and perhaps a broke bone from the force he would have to apply to   
get the needed speed , but it was better than dying . Wait , then he would not   
have time to leap away . Shit . So what if- Damn outta time !  
His feet had barely touched the street before he lashed out with his arms   
and shoved both hard enough to escape the path of the hurtling semi . Then he   
leapt and looked at the truck in triumph .  
It chose that moment to have half its trailer buckle , folding inward ,   
causing the whole mass to start a cartwheel . He stared at it in disbelief , one   
instant he was safe in the air , the next one hundredth of a second he was back   
in it's path . Helpless to maneuver while in the air .  
Impossibly , time slowed even further . It was like his mind had exploded in   
thought and energy . Suddenly everything was clear , his senses , his thoughts ,   
his emotions , his beliefs . Oh yes , the irony of becoming self actualized a   
few hundred milliseconds before death was also perfectly clear .  
He waited for his life to flash before his eyes . It never did . Instead   
something else flashed into his crystal clear mind . A truth , a truth so simple   
he wished he had time to laugh . Instead he tried to apply the principal as much   
as it would help him . If it could .  
The metal slammed into his raised arms first , flattening his body against   
it . He could feel muscle tearing and bone cracking , but the real pain was yet   
to come . Air screamed about him as the cartwheel raced toward the concrete . He   
felt the impact as if it were through padding , hard but impersonal . However   
the snapping of bone rang in his ears lik-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
-kane ? She was so pretty when she smiled . It made the world a different   
place if it could have a pretty smiling girl in it as well as fathers that threw   
their sons into pits of madness for training .  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sea . Water . Both directed the course of his life , both he divorced   
from it . Neither he could escape . Did he even want to ?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Who in hell was this red head ? She looked awful familiar . Like someone he   
had known a long time ago . But who ?  
Mother...   
  
  
  
~" Looking better every day . But that was pretty close for a while..."  
  
  
  
  
  
Mom ?! What the hell ! He didn't have any children ! Why was this kid   
calling him Mom ?! Why did the kid look so familiar ? This couldn't be right !  
  
  
  
  
~" I think she's about ready to wake up any day now ."  
~" I hope so doctor ...."  
  
  
  
Since when did he spend three years on an island ? Who was this Ukyo guy ?   
Why did he look like KUNO ?! Then there was little Nabiki ... NABIKI ! NOOOO!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He looked out over a vast ocean . The sea was dark today . The waves crested   
in torment as the wind moaned its pain . Their pain .  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
" Uhhhhh.." He tried opening his eyes only to discover that only one would   
open . Or at least , only one was still able to see .  
The room was empty except for himself and a number of machines that had   
wires and tubes leading from them to...her . When did she change ? How long was   
she unconscious ? Hell , why was she here ?  
Movement on her peripheral vision caught her attention . A nurse was peering   
in to the dimly lit room .   
She tried to call out . A muffled moan escaped instead . Her jaw was unable   
to open more than a millimeter .  
" Oh , so you're awake Saotome-san ." The nurse hurried in . " I would guess   
this is your second miracle ." The nurse checked each machine's readings   
carefully as she spoke . " Try to be patient . We'll be able to unwire your jaw   
in another few days . Doctor Kazumachi says that you heal at a rate he's never   
seen before , and it was only a minor fracture compared to the rest of you ."  
The nurse stood and bowed to her . " I'll go notify the doctors and your   
family ." That said , the nurse was gone .   
So what happened ? The last thing she remembered was that it was September   
the fourth and that ... Wait what day was it ?   
She frantically looked for a visible calendar . As her head movement was   
restricted by a neck brace . Finally she found one sitting on the window frame .   
It was October ninth .  
  
----------  
Kasumi came bursting into the room . Literally bursting , she seemed like a   
hyper schoolgirl .  
" Ranma's AWAKE !" The eldest Tendo hopped up and down . " He's awake , and the   
Doctors say that he seems just fine ."  
" How can they say that about anyone who just woke up from a coma ?" Nabiki said   
grimly .  
The mood dropped from ecstatic excitement to sobriety in two nanoseconds .  
" I hate to burst everyone's bubble but I don't want everyone bursting in and   
finding that Ranma can't remember anything or that he woke up blind ."  
Kasumi was the first to speak . " A good point , but you could have done it   
in hundreds of better ways ." She turned and headed for the front door .   
Everyone but Nabiki soon followed .  
At the hospital the Doctors detained them until they could give everyone a   
briefing on Ranma's condition .  
Ranma was still weak as a kitten . No one was to touch any part of her   
except for her left hand . From what tests they had performed Ranma had escaped   
any brain damage , and her body was healing as best it could but he would still   
be in the hospital for a very long time to come . After a long list of dos and   
don'ts they were let in .  
  
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Without warning the entire Tendo family burst in . Everyone seemed to be   
moving so fast . Akane seemed to teleport to her side and clamped her own hand   
down on her left hand . They assailed her with a barrage of questions and   
gibberish . No one seemed to notice that they were all speaking at once . She   
  
tried to think of a way of responding .  
Kasumi seemed to sense her plight and called for silence .   
" Ranma , can you raise your index finger for yes , and two fingers for no ?"  
She waited for Akane to take her hand away , but everyone was staring at her   
right hand . Which she could feel as a mass of throbbing pain , but hadn't been   
able to move .  
" I guess not ." Soun shook his head sadly .  
Then everyone began talking at once again . The clamor continued until a   
nurse came in and ushered them out . She frantically clenched and unclenched the   
fingers on her left hand despite the pain . But no one looked back long enough   
to notice .  
How could they be so stupid ?!  
  
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" Feeling horrible today or just wishing someone would let you commit   
seppuku ?" Tofu asked as he came in .  
He clicked the mouse a few times to select the hirigana characters for :  
/ Both .\  
" Well , I'm glad to say that in two days you get the jaw wiring off ."  
/ Great . Now Akane can hit me for saying something stupid .\  
" Well...we don't have to advertise that you can talk again ?"  
/ I would like that .\  
" I imagine you have a few thousand questions ?"  
/ Only a few hundred .\  
" Well , I have all day ."  
/ What happened to me ? Last I remember it was Sep. 4\  
Tofu looked surprised . " That's odd . The accident happened on the   
eighteenth ."  
/ Good . I was only in a coma for three weeks .\  
" Right . On the eighteenth there was a fight between -apparently- every teen   
martial artist you know . As a side effect of a stray attack and eighteen   
wheeler was sent out of control . The driver had died of an heart attack only   
moments before . So the truck was already speeding out of control . The ki   
attack just made things worse . You saved the lives of two young girls , but   
were unable to get out of the way yourself . A fully loaded semi hit you going   
more than seventy kilometers an hour . The paramedics had to get you out of a   
small crater in the street ."  
The doctor grimly took the medical clipboard from the side of Ranma's bed .  
" I know most of this won't make sense but here goes . You suffered a total of   
seventy three simple fractures , two compound fractures , and uncounted but high   
number of hairline fractures , numerous lacerations , seven internal hemorrhages   
, a punctured but not collapsed lung , and so on ." Tofu stopped , seeing her   
expression . " You lost a lot of blood . You would have died before you reached   
the hospital if not for a paramedic spilling some water on you accidentally .   
The change aggravated most of your breaks but saved you . The volume of blood   
you had left was enough for your smaller body to last on until they could get an   
IV transfusion into you .  
" I've instructed the hospital to ban any hot water from your room . Another   
change would only further aggravate your wounds at this point . In a month we   
should be able to change you back into a male ."  
/ How long until I have made a full recovery ?\  
Tofu looked away .  
/ I can see everything so I know no one cut anything off , and I can feel   
everything so I am not paralyzed . So when ?\  
She had to wait until the doctor glanced over to read .  
" You're right . There were no amputations . But , as far as we can tell there   
is no major spinal or brain damage . However , a full recovery for a normal   
person and for you are two different things . To be perfectly honest ...  
" You WILL still be able to be a martial artist . However , this will have   
most likely undone about eight of your ten years of training . I can't really   
see you leaping from roof to roof or tossing a Hiryu shoten ha about for a few   
years . You won't be back to your old physical level for a very long time to   
come . I say this as an optimist . The doctors here will start apologizing and   
tell you that you might not ever even run again . But those were the same   
doctors who have you listed here as a genetic abnormality for your bone and   
muscle densities ."  
/ If it takes me ten years again I will recover .\ He promised the doctor .  
Tofu smiled at the message . Then he glanced at the door before leaning in   
close .  
" Listen , say nothing to anyone about this , but ..." He leaned even closer to   
her ear . " Once you are recovered we may be able to find some magical treatment   
for you . Europe has a few healing springs left , or perhaps something in China   
or somewhere else ? It may not take ten years , but it's something to look   
forward to ."  
/ Yes .\ He agreed .  
" Doctor Tofu ?" A nurse walked in . " Your time is up ."   
" What ?" The doctor looked confused . " I am seeing a patient of mine , I am   
not a visitor ."  
" Doctor Shinta informed me that after Saotome came out of his coma you were no   
longer a adviser on her case ."  
" I'll have to speak to Doctor Shinta about this ." Tofu looked very annoyed .  
" Please leave now . The patient needs her rest ."  
" I'll be back tomorrow Ranma ." Tofu said as he was ushered out of the room .  
Once more Ranma was left staring at the ceiling .  
  
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She looked at the calendar again . It was the eighteenth . Due to an   
incident she had been moved to another hospital .   
It had started with Kodachi learning of her wakefulness . Soon the entire   
gang that had helped put her in this bed was crowded into her room . Again a   
fight broke out . Kasumi had been tossed onto her by someone . Kasumi was a   
tall girl , her female form was petite . The larger girl had felt like a one ton   
bolder on fire crushing her . She had never known she could scream that loud   
when it hurt to scream .  
The Doctors had said that no real damage had been done to her , but they   
were going to bill someone for all the monitoring equipment that was completely   
demolished . Poor Kasumi was traumatized for life . Poor Ranma was across Tokyo   
in another hospital with her present whereabouts carefully hidden from everyone   
she knew .  
" Room one thirty five , this is it ."  
Or not so well hidden ?  
The door opened a crack and a silhouette peered in .  
" I'm awake ." She called .  
The door swung all the way open . In it stood a girl that must have been her   
age , and a young girl that looked somewhere between third and fourth grade .   
Both of them were familiar . So familiar it scared her that she could not recall   
who they were .  
" A Doctor Tofu said that you were Ranma ?" The teen asked warily .  
" Despite appearances ." She tried to chuckle .  
" Wow , so you're really that guy that saved us ?" The young girl piped up ,   
scurrying over to her bedside . " What's it like having a curse ?"  
" Nagisa !" The older girl snapped .  
" It's annoying ." She did her best to smile for the younger girl . " You must   
be the little one I shoved outta the way of that truck ." I hazarded to guess .  
" Yup ! Big sis and I owe you our lives ." On impulse the little girl threw her   
arms around my neck and hugged me . I had just enough time to grit my teeth and   
contain the scream . I had a smile slapped back on by the time the girl pulled   
back .  
" Thanks Nagisa , I haven't had a hug in a long time ." She looked to the older   
girl . " You know my name , but I don't know yours ."  
" Sorry ," The older girl bowed quickly . " I'm Keiko ."  
" Glad to meet both of you , but I have to say that I don't remember the whole   
truck incident . The Docs call it suppression or something . I know it happened   
, but I don't remember it at all ."  
" You probably don't wanna ." Nagisa nodded .   
" Right ." I smiled . " So , if it's not too personal . Why come see me now ?"  
" Well..." Keiko shuffled her feet .  
" We couldn't find you at first ." Nagisa started . " Then we found you and the   
doctors wouldn't let us see you , because we weren't of any personal relation to   
you . Then you got moved , and then we found you and here we are ."  
" Oh ."  
" So we just came to thank you for saving our lives ." Keiko began .  
" Are you gonna be able to walk again ?" Nagisa interrupted .  
Once again Keiko was mortified .  
" Yup . I can move my left arm , but it's really sore so I don't that often .   
Both my legs are still broken but they'll heal , same thing with my right arm ."  
" Why do you have a bandage over your eye ?"  
" Cracked eye socket and a scratched cornea ." She explained . That means that   
the bone right here ..." Painfully she worked around the casts on her left arm   
and pointed to the little girl's temple . " is cracked , and the clear part of   
my eye got scratched a little . In a few days I get the bandage off and I can   
use both my eyes again ."  
" Neat ."   
" I'll think so in a few days ." She agreed .  
For the next hour or so she talked to the most forward speaking little girl   
she had met and a still timid sixteen year old who acted like she was violating   
some rule to be here .  
" We have to go now Nagisa ." Keiko said after glancing at her watch . " Our   
visitation time is up ."   
" Would you come see me again ?" She asked .  
" What ?" Keiko seemed surprised by the request .  
" Well , I don't exactly have much to do or many people to talk to ..."  
" Well be back as soon as we can !" Nagisa promised .  
  
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Tofu looked at the X ray prints along with the other physicians . He was the   
only one who did not gasp in shock .  
" I told you so ." He said to the Doctors in general .  
" Impossible !" One exclaimed . " No bone knits that fast !"  
" Ranma does ." He corrected mildly , and pointed to the lower density scans .  
" Look at the organ's progress . Ranma's lung has been fine for quite a while ,   
and there is the scar tissue here , here and here where the internal   
hemorrhaging was ."  
" The scars are healing already ?!"  
" There is reason why you have a small time practice doctor still on Ranma's   
case ." He snorted . " So you don't treat my patient for things she's past   
needing ."  
" Oh shut up ." Said one doctor .  
" You can't take being proved wrong , eh ?" Another elbowed the first .  
  
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She came back to the waking world with a sense of awe . She had meditated   
before . Sometimes even deeply if her father were not around . Having nothing to   
do she practiced the art in the only ways she could . She studied what books   
Tofu had on shaitsu , and meditated as deeply as she could .   
There were places inside herself that she had never dreamed existed . Places   
of fear , warmth , genius , and dogmatic stupidity . Places that seemed alien ,   
places that could not be described . She thought that she was learning more   
about herself now than ever before . Antiquity said that adversity and trial   
bring forth true character . It seems that a life of adversity and trial meant   
that a period of inactivity was what she needed to find her true nature .   
It frightened her .   
But she was finished for now . She took the sign off of her chest and sat up   
, relishing the movement over the pain it caused .  
" How was your trip ?" Asked her roommate , a car accident victim .   
" I found an island ." She confessed . " Not an actual place , but a memory that   
isn't mine ."   
" You sure no one ever slipped you LSD some time in your life ?"   
" What's LSD ?"  
" Never mind ."   
She shook her head and did a few slow torso twists in her seated position .  
" Show off ." Commented her neighbor .   
" Hey , I've been in the hospital since the eighteenth of September ."  
" Huh ? It's the fifteenth of November !"  
" Remember the person that got squished by the semi ?" She asked , a while back   
she had found out that the accident and her 'heroic sacrifice' made it on the   
national news .  
" That was you ?" Her roommate blinked . " What was the name Saotome Ran..   
Ransomething ."  
" Saotome Ranma ."   
" Yeah that's...you . I guess I never put the two names together ."  
" More like you thought I'd be a mushy vegetable ."  
" Well...it was a semi ."   
" A fully loaded one . Trust me I know ."  
A nurse came in , this time looking rather happy . " Guess what day it is   
Miss Saotome ?"  
" The fifteenth , but I cheated ." She answered with a laugh .  
" Well , I can't say you're wrong .... but it's more than that . Today is when   
you start walking !"   
She was speechless . " You're kidding ."   
" Nope ! Now we need to wheel you on over to the rehab wing ." The nurse started   
unfolding a collapsed wheelchair .  
" Wheel ? I thought you just said-"  
  
" If you try to walk over there under your own power you'll be too tired to do   
any rehab , and I'll get fired by the way . So into the wheelchair ."   
The journey to the rehab wing was brief . But once there every second was a   
struggle to savor . First they led her to a walkway with handrails barely half a   
meter from one another . Tried to balance her weight on walking cast clad feet   
and her left arm was a task that required every fiber of her attention . She   
felt more alive that she had in ages as the sweat poured off of her .  
So she completely missed the fact that the rehab specialists were staring at   
her in utter shock .  
" Umm... I don't think she's supposed to be able to jog on those ."  
" Shhh , she's on her fourth lap ."  
" Shouldn't we be guiding her or something at least if she's going to do her own   
regimen ?"  
" I think that in this case we're here just to catch her when ... if she falls   
and make her stop once she's to the point of exhaustion ."  
" Tenth lap ..."  
" Umm... how long is that walkway ?"  
" Five meters . So each lap is ten meters . Ninety more laps to a kilometer ."  
" Ninety ?" Their rehab patient paused . " I can do ninety ." She continued on   
at a determined but more measured pace .  
" This gal's unreal..."  
  
" Eleventh lap..."  
The point exhaustion came around the forty fourth lap . She protested and   
complained when they wouldn't let her continue .  
" Do that again and we'll have to call Guinness ." The orderly joked as he left   
the room .  
" What'd you do ?"   
" Fourty four laps ."   
" WHAT ?"  
" The jerks won't let me continue . I could do at least three more ." She   
claimed , despite sitting in the wheelchair dripping sweat .  
A nurse came in just before she was about to climb back into bed .  
" Oh no you don't ." The nurse rushed over and gently pushed her back into the   
wheelchair . " No sponge baths for you anymore . Doctor Tofu say's that you're   
going to take cold showers now ."  
" But my casts ?"  
" Won't hurt them a bit ." The nurse assured her .  
So she was wheeled off to the showers . To her embarrassment the nurse had   
to undress and join her so that she wouldn't slip and fall . After her exertions   
her balance was suddenly unreliable .  
After the assisted shower it was back to a freshly changed bed . For the   
first time in nearly two months she was grateful for the sight of the bed .  
  
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She looked down at her right hand . They had taken the final cast off of it   
today . At first she had been elated . Then she tried to move her hand . She   
could , but only with effort . And she had no sensation in most of the arm at   
all . On that dark note she had explored the rest of her body . So preoccupied   
with that worked she had failed to notice what no longer did . She could not   
curl or uncurl her toes of her left foot . No big deal aside from the fact that   
she would have to throw out a whole array of kicks that required the simple   
action of curling your toes up . There were other portions of her body she   
simply could no longer feel . Other things that didn't work .  
But it was her right hand that depressed her the most . It would never be   
the same . She could barely open and close it , and she had yet to close it   
enough to make a fist . Perhaps Tofu had been wrong . Perhaps she was just   
giving up too easily . Things were different now and they always would be . So   
how to deal with it ?   
There were many times in her life where she had chosen to fight when she   
should have not . Was this one of them ? If she fought was she condemning   
herself to a life of bitterness ? Or would she be able to win ?  
So many times when she should have found another way instead of fighting...   
" No ." She whispered to her crippled hand . " I will not ... I'll find a new   
way of fighting ."  
  
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She returned from her meditation and stared at her right hand . This time   
she could feel the warmed sheets under her fingers . She could feel that her   
calluses were gone . She could feel again .  
  
A few hours later Doctor Tofu came in . She told him the news .  
" I'm afraid that what you are feeling is probably an illusion you created ." He   
said sadly . " I saw the tests , and the breaks . I'm amazed that you can feel   
anything at all with how the nerves were damaged ."  
" But that speech you gave me way back when ."  
" Ryouga's entire body is half numb and he gets about fine , especially as a   
fighter ."  
" But I can feel everything I used to , more even 'cause the calluses are gone   
now ."  
  
Tofu grimly stood . " Let's put it to a blind test ." He took out a pen ,   
tongue depressor , and a needle . " I'll poke one of your fingers with each and   
you tell me which finger it was ."   
The doctor took her hand and turned his back to her . So that both the   
doctor's movements and her own hand were out of sight .  
Soon she felt a wooden poke on her index finger .  
" The tongue thingie on my index ." She smugly said .  
" Alright , now the pen ."   
" Pinky ."  
" The needle ."  
" Middle , and that was the pen again , you just uncapped it ."  
Tofu slowly turned around with a look of joy on his face .  
" How ? How did you do it ?! You had to have regenerated the nerve or rerouted   
the impulses ."  
" I'm not sure there are words to describe it ." She said after a long moment's   
thought . " You know I've been meditating a lot , and I've been places in my   
head that none of the master's manuals or scrolls I've read even hint at ."  
" Ranma you have to know !" Tofu pressed . " This could mean that severed spines   
could be mended . The paralyzed could walk again . Just find the words !"  
She reached up and gently pushed the doctor back away from her .   
" When you're trapped in your body like some prison you have a lot of time to   
think Doctor , a Lot of time . So you think and you think deeper and longer than   
you ever thought possible . That's what I've been doing , and I've found some   
things in my head I don't know how to describe ." She stated . " That's all   
there is to it . Tell me how you can urinate , or how you can wrinkle your nose   
or how you can focus your eyes on something far then close up . There's no words   
for things like that . You simply do them or you can't ."  
She waited a moment but the young doctor was still stunned . " The closest I   
can come to it is that I found another arm that I've never used before . It was   
there all along and I just never found that I had it ."  
Tofu sat down in the wheelchair that was stationed by her bed in case she   
had to go to the bathroom .  
" You know ... I think it comes down to you and what you are ." Tofu said in a   
far away tone . " If not for your years of inhuman training you would not have   
been able to save those girls and survive . If not for those years you would not   
be able to recover from that survival . Anyone else would not have lived , but   
anyone else would not be in that situation .... you're just too far removed to   
really apply to some things . I'm sorry Ranma . I was just being stupid ."  
" Nothing to be sorry about ." She assured the doctor . " If I thought that   
everyone could do it then I'd be reading the entire dictionary , looking for the   
words to describe it ."  
" So I suppose you'll be using this restoration on the rest of you ?"  
" It ain't no cure all . It'll still take me a long time just to get everything   
running and accounted for ."  
" Good luck ."  
" I'll need it ."  
" Miss Saotome , it's time for rehab again ." The orderly came in .  
" How many laps are you up to ?" Tofu asked as she slowly got herself into the   
chair .  
" Just shy of a kilometer ." She smiled . " And that's with swimming and the   
other stuff ."  
  
----------  
  
" Nerima's Ono Clinic ?" Doctor Tofu's voice answered over the line .  
" Hello , this is Ranma ."  
  
" Ranma , is anything wrong ?"  
" Sorta , I need a question answered ."  
" I think you need to talk to a nurse about that-"  
" Nonono , that happened a while back . The nurses even gave me the beans and   
rice . What I want to know is why I can't leave the hospital ."  
"...."  
" I can walk around fine on my own . I know there's a rehab place in Nerima , so   
why won't the doctors let me check myself outta here ? They say it's on your   
orders alone ."  
" It is ..."  
" Tofu . Explain . Now ."   
" Ranma . You may be physically back to what a normal person's level is . But   
compared to what used to be your usual day you are still as fragile as a china   
doll . I checked the densities on the X rays . Even though you heal at an   
accelerated rate your amazing bone density means that in terms of going back to   
one hundred percent strength you heal slower . Right now even I could break one   
of your knitting bones with one blow . Any one of your 'friends' could undo all   
the healing you've done in a matter of seconds ."  
" I see ..."  
" So that's why you have to remain where it's safe ."  
" I agree with remaining where it is safe , but if I say in this hospital or any   
hospital much longer it's Shishihodokan time ."  
" I'll see what I can do ."  
" Thank you ."   
  
" Wait , Ranma ."   
" Huh ?"  
" What you said earlier ... it's true right ?"  
" Yeah . Why ?"  
" But you said it so casually ..."  
" I guess I did . So ?"  
" So it doesn't bother you that you're a guy who menstruates ?"   
" The hell it doesn't ." She said with no heat . " But I guess you can't go   
through something like near death without a perspective check . Part o' mine   
says that in my case gender don't apply all that much ."  
" Glad to hear that . It'll save you a lot of stress ."   
" I hope so . Bye ."  
" Bye ." ~click~  
  
----------  
  
" When is Ranma coming home ?" Nabiki asked Kasumi the moment she walked in   
the door . " I need cash . I need Ranma ."  
" Nabiki , Ranma is more than just a source of cash ."  
" You don't understand . Without him I'm forced to get loans to pay our monthly   
bills . We're getting in ..." The middle Tendo said the final word as if it   
might summon a demon if spoken too loud . " debt ."  
" You still haven't answered ." Akane butted in . " When is Ranma coming home to   
m- us ."  
Kasumi smiled a little wider at her little sister's slip . Absence does make   
the heart grow fonder . " Tofu said that he had been released days ago ."  
" Wonderful !" Akane cheered .  
" Reality intrusion ." Nabiki warned . " If he was released days ago then where   
is he ?"  
" Um..." Kasumi blinked .  
  
  
  
(end part one)  
  
  
  
Part two  
  
  
She did not even flinch when the teacup she dropped shattered on the cafe   
table . All her attention was occupied with trying to validate what her eyes   
were telling her .   
Ranma was across the street . Walking . But on a cane , and she seemed to be   
tiring with the effort .  
Sure she had seen Ranma in the hospital , bound in casts and in traction .   
But that had somehow been disassociated with Ranma , as if the hospital bound   
girl had been someone else far removed from the unstoppable martial artist she   
knew .  
However , this was not some pallid figure enshrouded in bandages and shelled   
in casts . This was the Ranma she had known . But the fact that a cane assisted   
her every step and her arm shook with exertion conflicted with what her mind   
told her she should be seeing .  
Still , she got over the shock after a few moments .  
" Ranma ?" She called across the busy street .  
The red head continued on .  
" Ranma ?!" She called louder , hastily leaving money for her meal on the table   
before setting off in pursuit of the slowly escaping red head .  
The third time she called Ranma the young girl turned around .  
" Kasumi ." She smiled tiredly , her breathing just shy of irregularly . " I   
didn't expect ta see you here ."  
" Ranma ..." She looked the younger girl over .  
The once mighty martial artist leaned on her cane heavily , her arm   
trembling slightly , as if under a great strain . Sweat seeped ever so slightly   
through her clothing , and shone on her face . The scars on her arms from   
compound fractures and corrective surgery stood out a stark white against   
flushed skin .  
" I know , I know , I look like hell ." Ranma rolled her eyes . " C'mon , it's   
not too far from the park . I need a nice bench to sit on ."   
That last sentence sounded so alien from Ranma that Kasumi almost   
entertained the notion that this was not Ranma . Then reality slapped the silly   
thought down . Really now , was Ranma superhuman ? No . Should he be expected to   
bounce back from the brink of death as if it were a stubbed toe ? No . Then stop   
being so shocked !  
" So , how as everyone been ?" Ranma asked as they walked . Her cane assisting   
every step .  
" Worried ." She replied instantly . " After they moved you we couldn't see you   
or even give you a call !"  
" Ever tried writing ? My doctor would act as a middle man ."   
" No ..." She admitted . " But why didn't you write then ?"  
" I'm right handed ." Ranma explained . Then continued when it was clear that   
Kasumi failed to understand . " Most of my fingers were broken and I had lotsa   
hairline fractures in my right wrist to boot ."  
" Oh my ."   
" Yeah ." Ranma nodded with a giggle .  
She could not help but whip her head about and stare at the red head as she   
giggled .  
" What ?" Ranma asked , her giggle dying away .  
" You never giggle ."  
" I do now if I'm a girl ." Ranma shrugged . " Guys chuckle , girls giggle . I   
guess I get to do both ."   
Finally they reached a empty bench in the park . Ranma sat down heavily ,   
with a great sigh of relief .  
" These walks still take it outta me ." She shook her head . " Although I'm   
  
hoping to get rid o' this cane pretty soon ."  
It almost moved her to tears to hear Ranma say such things .  
" Oh Ranma !" She wailed and buried her face in the smaller girl's shoulder .  
" Whoa ! What ?" Ranma yelped in surprise .  
To her own surprise she felt two arms encircle her in a comforting embrace .   
" What's wrong Kasumi ? I'm fine . I really am ."   
" H-how can you say that ?" She shuddered into the smaller girl's shoulder .   
" How can you say that when you can barely walk ? I'm so sorry !"  
Ranma said nothing in reply as she stroked the older girl slowly and hugged   
her tight . After nearly a minute she heard Ranma speak .  
" Is it about Akane ?" Ranma asked in a low voice .  
" Yes ." She admitted . " Oh Ranma , it was so different when you were yourself   
! You were perfect for her ! A martial artist that could share her interests and   
take ...the effects of her temper . You would save her when she got in over her   
head and she would save you in return . No one has tolerated her temper and   
still found it in their heart to want to spend the rest of their life with my   
little baby sister ... Until you ."  
" But ?" Ranma prompted , her voice betraying a suspicion as to what would soon   
follow .  
" But , now ... Oh... how can you save her now ? How can you survive her temper   
now ? She might kill you before she even knew what she was doing !"  
What she heard Ranma say next filled her with sudden hope .  
" You said that before and I proved you wrong before ."  
She sat up and dried her eyes as Ranma continued .  
" You guys said that with the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion . Ya said it when I   
was stuck as a girl . And now you're the one saying it Kasumi . Well it ain't   
gonna happen ." Ranma held up her right hand and made a fist . She winced at the   
muffled pop a joint made . Ranma ignored her reaction . " It might take me a   
year , it might take ten years . But I will come back from this stronger than   
before ."  
" Well ," She said as brightly as she could . " If anyone can it has to be you ,   
doesn't it ?"  
" Right ." Ranma nodded . " But -and this is a big but- I gotta be realistic   
about this . It really might take me ten years , I'm hoping for much less , but   
ten years max . I'll be twenty seven by then . This whole engagement thing is   
gonna have to be reworked ."  
" What ?" She found herself once again staring at Ranma .  
" What you said about me being fragile and getting killed by Akane's temper was   
right on the money . Right now I Am too fragile for Akane . So... the way I see   
it we have a few options ." Ranma ticked them off on her right hand .  
" One : I stick with Akane , but that means I have to stay away from her .   
As in , not see her in person at all . I'll marry her when I can physically take   
the abuse again . But this will take a long time . It'll be a long distance   
relationship . Akane might fall for someone else . Heck , I might too . So ,  
" Two : Break off my engagement to Akane and make it an open one again .   
After all , you and Nabiki volunteered her . So I end up marrying whoever is   
still unmarried when I'm ready to be the heir again . Or ,  
" Three : I marry someone aside from Akane right now . You , Nabiki , or   
Ukyo . Realistically , Ukyo would be a bad choice . I'd get into just as much   
physical danger with her as Akane , just from different sources . So that leaves   
you and Nabiki . I really never had too much say in this from the start so I'll   
just leave it between you two . Flip a coin or somethin' I guess . Or ,  
" Four : I don't marry nobody . No engagements , no girlfriends , nothing   
romantic or even close to it as long as I can avoid it . I really like number   
four . But , I doubt it's ever gonna happen .  
" So , what's it gonna be ?"  
She gave Ranma her best dumbfounded look . " I don't know what to say..."  
" I wouldn't either ," Ranma agreed . " but I spent a lot of time thinking about   
what to say . I spent a lot of time thinking about everything ... Anyhoo ," The   
petite girl lurched to her feet . " I'll be going now , you better go home too .   
Don't tell anyone that you saw me today . Just think about the options . See if   
you can come up with any I didn't ." With that Ranma started to leave .  
" Wait ! Why can't I tell anyone , why won't you come home ?"  
Ranma stopped and looked over her shoulder . " Don't tell our fathers   
because they got us into this mess and will only make it messier . Don't tell   
Akane 'cause I don't want her to know how bad I'm doing at the moment . And   
  
don't tell Nabiki 'cause it'll get to everyone else in five minutes ."  
" What about coming home ? I'm sure Akane can keep herself in check ."  
" Even if she could -which I doubt , my foot still finds my mouth- everyone else   
that could rebreak me ends up at the Tendo Dojo some time or another ."  
That said , the young martial artist left her sitting alone on the bench .  
  
----------  
  
She closed the door behind her and set the cane by the door before taking   
off her shoes . It was straight to the bath after that . She shucked her   
clothing and slipped into water just barely under the trigger temperature . Tofu   
had advised that they put off any gender changing for as long as possible . That   
way they could be sure the bones would continue knitting properly . At one   
time those orders would have enraged and tortured her . Now she   
simply could care less . Whoever gave a damn whether she was male or female did   
not matter right now .  
Besides , going about in public as a young girl using a cane had opened her   
eyes to yet another facet of human nature she had been blind to . Apparently   
being a cripple had removed all sexuality from her . Men still treated her   
especially nice , but the lust was gone from their eyes the moment they saw the   
cane in her hand . Just another reason to keep using it . Still , it shocked her   
that simply using a cane could disqualify her from any male's instinctive   
reactions to a attractive female . Tofu had explained to her how unconscious it   
is in everyone , and even used her own past actions as a male for examples .  
Every day was an eye opening experience . Every day her atrophied right arm   
and hand became stronger , more balanced to her left . Soon , she would be able   
to start training again . Her legs no longer needed the cane's aid . She only   
used it in order to repetitively place weight on her right arm . With each step   
her right arm had to carry some of her weight . And over the kilometers she   
walked each day she had to pump it thousands and thousands of times .  
After her soak she made a B line for the futon . However , she wasn't   
planning on sleeping any time soon . Instead she read as her body rested . Math   
and English so she would not have to play catch up for the rest of her academic   
career . Musashi's Book of Five Rings and Sun Tzu's Art of War for vastly   
different reasons . It still galled her to be a warrior and not to have already   
read The Art of War long ago .  
  
----------  
  
" So you're new here ." Sanosuke stated to the newcomer . A short red head   
who actually walked in on a cane , but seemed to be fine now .  
" I hate to break it to you ," Sanosuke continued . " but Goji-ryuu ain't   
exactly your speed I think ." The tall man nodded to the cane that leaned   
against the doorframe by the master's office .  
" I'm just recovering from an accident ." The small woman shrugged off the   
baited comment .   
" Maybe you should recover some more before coming here ?" Sanosuke said in that   
tone you could never tell if he were baiting again or seriously suggesting .  
" Naww , I'll be fine ." The red head smiled as if she knew a secret and it was   
a very humorous one .  
" We'll see ." Sanosuke nodded to the red head and walked off to continue his   
stretching .  
" Don't mind him ," Keiko stood at the Red Head's side . " Sanosuke's the kind   
of guy you thinks everyone has to earn respect ."   
" I noticed ." The red head smiled . " I'd like to spar him tonight ..."  
" He's a fourth dan ." Keiko warned .  
" I'll be gentle ."   
  
He looked back and forth between the pair . " You two know each other ?"   
Keiko had been attending the Dojo for nearly three years now , but he had   
never heard her mention knowing a Red head ? Full blood Japanese with red hair   
  
were very rare .  
" Shinji , meet Saotome Ranma , the person who saved Natsumi and I from that   
runaway truck ."   
" Pleased to meet you ." Ranma bowed respectfully .  
" I ...um...don't want to be rude , but shouldn't you be flatter than one sheet   
of ricepaper ?"  
  
Ranma giggled . " If a raging semi won't kill me then I doubt I have much to   
fear from Sanosuke over there ."   
" I see ..."  
Further conversation was halted by the Sempai's call for the class to line   
up . Ranma fell into place in the back , but out of line , by another Sempai .   
Someone was about to whisper a correction to the new student when the master   
gestured to the Sempai that Ranma was in her proper place .  
After class warmups the master divided them into pairs for some kata   
practice . Except for the Sempai , who were to pair up for grappling . Only   
there was an odd number . Sanosuke , left without a partner , assumed he would   
pair up with the master . The master waved for Ranma to come over . The whole   
class fell silent to watch . The master did not reprimand anyone for not   
following direction .  
" I'm not going to baby you ." Sanosuke threatened .  
" How high is your pain threshold ?" Ranma smiled and bowed as if coming to the   
greatest punch-line in the world .  
  
It was over in a fraction of a second . If he had not been a second dan   
himself he would have missed the whole thing .   
Sanosuke's hands flashed out , intending to end the farce quickly . But   
Ranma had already moved just centimeters out of reach and was countering in a   
subtle way that escaped him even in retrospect . It was if she had forced   
Sanosuke to overextend himself even when he had aimed short . His balance was   
off and Ranma only had to take him out with a flash of her left arm . Sanosuke   
  
was sent spinning to the floor in a heap .  
" What ..." Was all the tall man said as he got to his feet and faced his   
opponent again .  
But he did not attack this time . Once bitten , twice shy . Part of what   
made Sanosuke so infuriating at times was the fact that he was very smart . An   
arrogant idiot is much more tolerable than a smart man who is arrogant .  
Ranma attacked again with more subtlety than a magician's slight of hand . A   
shift of weight became a front kick which twisted further into a roundhouse just   
as Sanosuke's highly trained reflexes were set to blocking the front kick which   
never came . Again the tall man went to the floor .  
The third time around Sanosuke decided to attack . A flurry combination of   
weaving hands and feints within feints within feints ended by apparently   
piercing Ranma's defenses with a straight punch for her race . Ranma bent back   
with the approaching punch like a reed in the wind . Her hands gripped his arm ,   
guiding it higher and over her . Incredibly , the tall man was hurled off of his   
feet , half by his own punch , half by Ranma . Once more Sanosuke was on the   
Dojo floor .  
" It seems that I have yet to meet my match ." Sanosuke grunted . " I can only   
find people better than me or worse than me . You gotta be the first kind ."   
From then on Sanosuke was always watching Ranma's every move when she did   
anything even remotely relating to martial arts . He watched her with the   
intense study that he had previously only used upon the master himself . It was   
Sanosuke's highest form of praise .  
He just thought that Ranma was cute . A bit too intimidating to approach ,   
but too beautiful to give up on . Maybe Keiko would set Ranma up with him ?  
----------  
  
For the first time in her life she saw Kasumi mad at Tofu . It was like an   
angel holding hands with a demon , it just wasn't supposed to happen !  
" Stop it with the stupid act !" Kasumi squealed into the phone . " It's been   
WEEKS Doctor , WEEKS since you told us that Ranma had been released . We took it   
for a long time Doctor . Much too long . Now where is Ranma ?" Kasumi demanded   
as if she held a gun to the poor Doctor's head .   
There was a silence as Tofu replied . Kasumi's face contorted into outrage   
." How dare you say that !"   
Another silence . This time her older sister's face softened and she nodded   
in reluctant agreement .  
" At least give us a phone number ..." Kasumi pleaded .  
This time the silence was quite short and ended with the phone slamming onto   
it's hookup so hard the plastic cracked .  
" Well , what...?" She hazarded to inquire after she was sure Kasumi would not   
grab a knife and behead her .  
Kasumi didn't even look at her , she just continued to glare at the phone as   
if her fiery stare could reach the Doctor .  
" Apparantly we are a danger to Ranma's health ." She sighed , her glare fading   
into uncertainty . " He says that if anyone , even Ranma's mother , finds out   
where he lives then everyone will ."  
" Of course ." She agreed . Didn't that go without saying around Ranma ?  
" So we can't even have a phone number ..." Her older sister leaned back against   
the counter and began massaging her forehead .  
  
----------  
  
She looked left , she looked right . So far the coast was clear . No raging   
monsters . No Chinese Amazons . No Nabiki . No Demons . No pervert Masters .   
Nothing was pouncing . Something had to be wrong .  
" Maybe , just maybe ...the Umi Sen Ken is paying off ." She whispered as she   
slid through the crowd , unnoticed and unmolested . She had chosen something   
that would allow her to stand out enough not to be noticed -this was Nerima   
after all- , but wouldn't betray her identity instantly . Tofu said she made a   
good geisha . She thought the white face makeup and the wig both itched way too   
much .  
Her source -she had sent an anonymous request and payment to Nabiki- said   
that Akane and her friends ate at his cafe every afternoon once school was out .   
So she took a seat in a corner , ordered something light and watched the crowd   
as she ate .  
Akane , with two other girls in orbit around her , waltzed in and took a   
booth as of habit . A waitress was already standing to take the regular   
customers' orders .  
" An American cheese burger with a diet coke ." One girl ordered .  
" Just chicken ramen ." The other ordered .  
" My usual ." Akane nodded .  
Then the trio returned to whatever conversation they had been engaged in   
before entering .  
" Hasn't Nabiki found him yet ?" The burger girl asked . " I thought that your   
sister had connections even in the Diet !"  
" Of course she doesn't ... at least I don't think she does ..."  
" It would explain why the police never bother your family ." The ramen girl   
added .  
" Nabiki's just clever ." Akane shook her head as if to clear it . " That's all   
, she makes the most of what is available to her . But she does have limits ...   
and I guess that doctor Tofu and the hospitals are beyond her ."  
" Shame..." Sighed the first girl .  
" I know..." Agreed the other .  
" Hey ! He's not gone forever !" Akane protested . " Anyway , can we stop   
talking about Ranma ? It's depressing ."  
" I'm depressing ?" She whispered to herself over her noodles .  
" So , has Kasumi made her move yet ?" The burger girl leaned in towards Akane .  
" What are you talking about ?" Akane looked genuinely puzzled .  
" You know ..." The ramen girl pressed before looking puzzled herself . " wait..   
know what ?"   
" Has she started on that doctor yet ? Or is she still stringing him along ?"   
The burger girl clarified .  
Akane looked out the window suddenly . " That ... Actually , Kasumi's mad at   
Tofu now ."  
" Lie !" The ramen girl squealed . " Your big sister can't get mad ."  
" That's what I thought ..." Akane continued to study something outside . " But   
, I guess this thing with Ranma pushed some button real hard . Ever since   
Mother's death she's had some weird feelings about hospitals ."  
The ramen girl shook her head . " But I thought she wanted to be a doctor ?"  
" Private practice only ."  
" Oh ."   
" Maybe this has stirred up old memories ?" Burger girl joined Akane in her   
window watching .  
" It has for me ..." Akane sighed .  
She was about to order another helping so that she could stay longer without   
suspicion when someone slid into the seat across from her .  
" Can I sit here... do I know you from somewhere ?"  
She turned to find herself face to face with Ukyo .   
Shit .  
" Uhhhh..." Suddenly there wasn't a thought in her head to save her .  
" RAN-CHAN !" Ukyo cried in shock at her sudden recognition .  
All eyes were on here in less than a second . A minor portion of hell broke   
loose shortly thereafter .  
Ukyo leapt across the table to embrace her . Akane leapt through the air to   
attack her for her perverted betrayal . Mousse showed up for no reason and by   
unknown means . Of course he attacked as well , on the pretext of avenging the   
worry she had caused Shampoo .  
Something also happened that had not in a very , very long time . She found   
herself terrified of the fight . Terrified of Mousse , terrified of Akane's fury   
, and absolutely terrified of whatever else was coming .  
Mousses chains proved faster in reaching her than Akane's leap . She felt   
the weighted tips slam into her . The impacts threw her up against the wall .   
Akane landed a stride from her table , the ubiquitous mallet of Doom(tm) raised   
and at the ready .  
Behind Akane Mousse was readying more weapons . She felt a scream well up in   
her throat . But Ukyo suddenly shoved Akane aside before the final blow could   
descend . But that only left a clear shot for Mousse . Instincts born of over a   
decade of training had already gotten her feet under her . She leapt over the   
chains before she even knew what she was doing .  
" Damn you Saotome !" Mousse snarled as he reeled in his chains for a second   
volley .  
Akane and Ukyo clashed , oversized mallet against oversized spatula . She   
leapt for the door . Her heart pounding so loud in her ears that she was sure   
everyone in the room could hear it .  
She didn't feel the impacts at first . Her body jerked under the force , but   
only a instant later did the pain register . Now off balance , her leap took her   
into yet another wall .   
By the time she recovered from her disorientation she found herself outside   
, and running . Not one to question any sort of good happenstance she kept on   
running . Then she glanced behind herself . Although she was barely a few   
meters from the cafe the current hoard   
pursuing her consisted of Ukyo , Akane , Mousse , Shampoo , and Kodachi seemed   
to be catching up from about a block away .  
It was as if Nerima had been waiting for her all this time . Like a trap .  
" I'm gonna die ." She heard herself gasp as she ran . " I'm gonna die ."   
She had said so before in the past . However , this time she truly believed   
the prophesy . A few more impacts and a bone would give somewhere . Then her   
mobility would be zero . The trap would have her and that would be the end .  
" I'm gonna die ." She gasped , rounding a corner just a centimeter too tight .   
Her shoulder grazed the brick . She stumbled , but remained running . Her heart   
sounded like a continuos stream now , like a machinegun's fire .  
Up ahead loomed the park . Maybe she could hide somewhere ? The Umi Sen Ken   
had always worked in the past .  
She could hear shouting behind her , she knew somehow which were speaking to   
her and which were not , even if all she could make out were roaring battle   
cries . Words didn't seem to make sense anymore . Even her own mantra seemed   
garbled . The world had been reduced to just what was in front of her .   
Tunnel vision . Some part of her mind managed to inform her , it called for   
her to keep her eyes moving , scanning ahead and to the sides . But all she   
seemed able to do was run and run .  
  
  
As usual , she had devoted many hours today to searching for Ranma . And as   
usual she had found nothing of use . However , all that became meaningless as   
she walked down the sidewalk that bordered the park .   
Ranma was running through the park , heading strait for her .   
" Ranma you..." Her hail trailed off as she took in exactly what was happening .  
Ranma was dressed in a ruined kimono , most of the bottom torn away to free   
the red head's legs for running . Her white face makeup was coming off in a   
deluge of sweat . Her blue eyes were huge and wild with fear that bordered on   
madness .   
Behind Ranma was the usual Nerima wrecking crew . Fighting each other in a   
running battle as they vied for position in the mass pursuit of Ranma .  
Then Ranma saw her . The young martial artist's mad flight came to a halt so   
fast Ranma fell over . The crumpled girl rolled up to her feet . She looked down   
at the heap before her in a sick fascination . Ranma stared up at her like a   
wounded doe staring at the hunter as he took aim one last time . Ranma's   
breathing sounded like drowning man gasping at air . Two ice blue eyes remained   
fixed on hers .  
Then Ranma screamed , screamed like someone facing their death .  
" Ra-what ?" She stammered , taking a step back .  
Ranma scrambled away from her , falling several times before managing to get   
onto her feet and start running again . She had never seen Ranma ever move so   
clumsily .   
The path Ranma took lead to a cul-de-sac . Soon the frenzied girl was backed   
up against the side of a building . The mob closed in , relentless in their   
  
pursuit . Ranma screamed again , and again . Clawing at the wall almost as if   
she were in the Neko-ken .  
Now in range , Mousse threw a chain . Ranma brought up an arm to block , but   
she was a fraction too slow and took the weight on her collarbone . Mousse paid   
for his shot with a bonbori to his head . Ranma grabbed the weight and threw it   
back wildly , the weight flying meters away from the mob .  
" Ran-chan !" Ukyo stepped out from the mob .  
Akane malleted the chef for her trouble . " Don't you dare !"  
" Die ! Vile girl !" Kodachi flicked her ribbon out and wrapped it around one of   
Ranma's arms . With a hard jerk she pulled Ranma towards her . Which turned out   
to be one of the biggest mistakes of Kodachi's youth .  
The moment she had Ranma within hand to hand distance a club appeared in her   
hand and she raised it to strike . Ranma didn't scream this time . Instead , the   
red head became a blur of bestial carnage .   
It seemed like an hour , but was most likely only a second at the most , but   
when Ranma broke away from Kodachi the young gymnast was unrecognizable . Her   
leotard was torn and bloody , her face was a dripping mass of contusions and   
gashes , as was the rest of her body .  
The moment Kodachi hit the pavement Ranma was back to running . This time no   
one followed .  
  
----------  
  
" So how bad is it ?" She asked the doctor in the ER .  
" I'm very surprised ." The older woman shook her head at the clipboard she held   
. " But I am glad to say that it looks much worse than it is . Only shallow   
lacerations and deep soft tissue contusions . She'll be fine in a week or two ."  
" Just cuts and bruises ?" She blinked . Kodachi had looked mauled to her .  
" Astounding isn't it ?" The doctor put the clipboard under her arm . " What   
seems to have happened was that her assailant just thrashed at her with open   
hands ."  
" She was slapped ?"   
" No ..." The doctor held up a hand in a mimic of a claw . " More like this I   
would say ."  
  
----------  
  
  
" So what happened to me ?" She asked doctor Tofu after finishing her   
recount of the episode .  
" A panic attack ." He said after some thought . " Although there was much more   
to it than that ."  
" I don't panic !" She retorted out of reflex . " Sorry , I didn't mean that ."  
The doctor nodded . " I know . But if your description is right then I'd say   
that it was a panic attack , and that it somehow triggered a portion of your   
Neko-ken defense mechanism even without a cat around ."  
  
" How can that happen ?" She meant the question as rhetorical , but the doctor   
answered anyway .  
" Humans had survival instincts as both predator and prey . For most of your   
life you have been the predator more or less . Not this time ... I think the   
Neko-ken is linked to your more animalistic instincts so when the fear reached   
deep enough it grazed the Neko-ken somewhere in there ."  
" So what does that mean ...." The question was not directed to the doctor . " I   
can't control myself in the Neko-ken , so how can I fight ? How can I face   
another opponent again if I freak out ?"  
" Ranma ." He waited until the young martial artist looked up at him . " Do you   
'freak out' at the Dojo you practice at ? No . Do you have some of the strongest   
survival instincts around ? Yes . What event actually triggered the fear , to   
the point of blind panic ?"  
She relived the horrifying experience . Even when she had seen Akane's   
Mallet of Doom(tm) she had still been herself . Even after she had been struck   
down twice by Mousse she had still been herself . But when she had looked back   
to see more and more gathering , each hell-bent on hurting or killing her , that   
was when she had felt as if Nerima itself were after her . That was when panic   
had turned into blind panic , hysteria . She told Tofu so .  
" There , you see . It was simply too much too soon ." The doctor nodded to   
himself as if that explained it all . " You instincts are far more aware of your   
status and ability than you are . When you saw the pack gaining on you your mind   
saw something usual , but your instincts saw something that you could not handle   
, and would kill you . So it sent you into flight . Simple fight or flight   
reflex ."  
" I always used the fight part of it until now..." She said glumly . Tofu's   
words comforting her . It had not been weakness , just her instincts saving her   
from her mind's stupidity .  
" At least you're alive . Nothing rebroken or seriously injured ."  
" Yeah...um...how is Kodachi ?"  
" Last I called her doctor told me that she was complaining about being confined   
to the hospital . You see , they have her in psychiatric evaluation now ."  
" 'Bout damn time ." She said to hide her relief .  
  
----------   
  
  
She felt her heart pounding against her ribcage like an animal thrashing   
about to get free . Yet she continued on . Long ago her father had taught her to   
push her body to it's limits , and beyond them .  
Finally , the kata was finished . She fell to her knees and struggled to   
keep from weeping with shame . It was such a simple kata , only a fifty count .   
She had learned it when she was thirteen . Now she could barely finish it   
without dropping .   
There had been more to her narrow escape from Nerima than she had thought .   
Both the run and the hits she had taken had set her recovery back . She had   
barely been able to get up the next day . That was weeks ago .   
So here she was , a pathetic wretch that went to a regular Dojo five days a   
week , spent at least an hour in Tofu's private training room , and she was   
still only eking along progressing by only miniscule increments . It was so   
frustrating she spent some nights simply crying .  
Once she could leap three , four , sometimes even five stories into the air   
and not even fell any effort ! Now she could barely leap her own height as a   
girl .  
However , she was still Saotome Ranma , the wild horse of chaos . Even if   
she had to continue along at his rate for the rest of her career she would one   
day surpass what she had been before that day , before that accident .  
" Mind if I butt in for a moment ?" Tofu said from the door .  
" It's your dojo ." She replied tonelessly .  
" Might I say that you could be going about this the wrong way ?"  
" How so ?" She snorted at the puddle of sweat at her feet .  
The young doctor took a few steps into the dojo before falling into a   
unusual stance .  
" You are trying to push your battered body to a level it's no longer capable of   
reaching ." Tofu said before executing a flurry of techniques .  
" That was how you trained when you were younger , right ? By pushing yourself   
beyond what your body was capable of so that it was forced to expand ."   
She stood , hating the effort that it took .  
" But right now you are not young and whole . Your body is trying to repair   
itself . You can't expand when it has yet to reach the starting point . You'll   
only slow the process down ."  
" So what do you want me to do then ? Stop training ?" She clenched a fist in   
defiance .  
Tofu merely began a slow kata . " Once you told me that you were trapped   
inside your body . Once I told you that what you wanted to do was impossible .   
Those two things came together to become your opponent . How did you defeat him   
when you could not move . When this is what you dreamed of ?" The young doctor's   
movements became more fluid and precise , rivaling in skill what even Genma had   
once shown .  
" I found a new way to fight ." She replied with no small measure of pride .  
Tofu finished his kata , stood , and faced her . " If you continue as you   
are you will burn out your body . Find a new way to train ." With that said the   
young doctor began to leave . But he stopped at the door long enough to add   
something .  
" Start with your mind . In a year or more your body might be ready to begin   
your new way . But not now . Focus on your mind and finding this new way ."   
With that said she found herself alone again .  
" Alright brain , just you and me ..." She mumbled and sat down .  
In that hospital bed she had found places and parts of herself that could   
not be described , and for the most part it terrified her . So she had made an   
effort to forget , and had not meditated since she left . Now it seemed she was   
to go exploring again .   
  
----------   
  
" Where are you going ?" Tofu asked her as she started out the door with her   
pack .  
" Around ." She said before deciding that Tofu deserved more . " When I was   
training with Pop we traveled around and learned from many masters . I think I   
have found my new way . But I want to find other masters to learn this new way   
from ."  
" I see ." Tofu nodded solemnly . " But do-"  
" I have all my school books with me , I'm not going to fall behind ." She   
giggled .  
" Well then , any idea when you're going to be back ?"  
" None whatsoever ." She found herself smiling .  
" Write at least once a month or I'll send the Tendos out after you ." The older   
man grinned back .  
A thought struck her . " Say , when will it be safe for me to change back   
into a guy ? I wanna train both bodies when I'm able ."  
Tofu's brow furrowed for a moment before he shrugged and produced a steaming   
kettle from apparently nowhere . " I was going to wait another month to be   
certain , but it should be alright for you to change back and forth now ."  
" Great ." She grinned and took the kettle from him before he could pour it on   
her . " Not so fast . I just wanna do this first ."   
She stood on her toes and gave the young doctor a quick kiss on the cheek .  
" There ." She giggled at his frozen expression before pouring the water on   
herself .  
He had forgotten how awful the change felt when he knew it was coming , but   
at least it was lightning quick . Now a full head taller he adjusted his pack   
and set the kettle down . He was out of the office and down the walkway before   
the poor doctor could recover from his shock .  
Now on to training .  
Errr...where to go ?  
  
----------   
  
" You know what I like about this doc ?" Patient A said to patient B .  
" What ?" Patient B responded . " His sure care ? Low rates ?"  
Both remained seemingly oblivious to the banging front door .  
" Nope , it's just never a dull moment ....So long as Kasumi-the-terminator   
doesn't show up . Then things get too nondull ."  
" Yeah , it is kinda entertaining ."  
The front door's hinges started to give when Tofu rushed in wheeling a   
bookcase on a gurney . One flip later and the half broken door had a bookcase   
reinforcement .  
" I'll be with you once this is resolved ." Tofu politely assured them .  
" Take your time ." Patient A chuckled .  
The sound of glass shattering spurred Tofu into action again .  
" Ohnomyofficewindow !" The young doctor yelped , racing off .  
" Open up ! We know you got Ranma in there !" Nabiki's voice boomed in from a   
megaphone .  
" I keep telling you he LEFT !" Tofu screamed back from somewhere down far the   
hall .  
" Alright , Ryouga , DO IT !"  
" Ohnononononononononono!" Tofu came careening around the corner just in time to   
hear the scream of .  
" BAKISAI TENKETSU !"   
In an instant the bookshelf transformed into a cloud of sawdust .  
The whole Nerima teen crew streamed in , Nabiki in the lead .  
" Alright Tofu , you put up a good defense but it's over now . Hand over Ranma ,   
we know you have him ." Nabiki pointed a finger at Tofu menacingly .  
For some reason no one expected Tofu to react adversely to the assault on   
his private practice .  
So it came as a complete shock when the young man practically exploded into   
motion . Sending Shampoo and Mousse into LEO with a flash of motion . Tofu's   
body became a blur of fury . Ryouga went down with barely a yelped "mommy!' .   
Akane found herself holding the broken haft of her mallet , the rest was nowhere   
to be found .  
The blur that was Tofu resolved into a furious man standing just three   
centimeters from Nabiki . He bend down until his nose was just a hair away from   
touching Nabiki's .  
" For the last time , Ranma left . He left three days ago . I did not ask where   
he went . You'll pay me for the damages after I calm down to a more rational   
state of mind . Don't call me , I'll call you . Now LEAVE !"   
" N-n-now wait a sec-"  
" NO !" Tofu bellowed so loud Nabiki reeled back , clapping her hands over her   
ears . " No , 'wait a second' . No , 'now see here' . No NOTHING ! LEAVE !"   
Survival taking precedence the two Tendos grabbed Ryouga and beat feet .  
Tofu took a slow and deep breath .  
Then another .  
" Alright , Kasagi-san , you're here for a knee problem I believe ?"   
" You bet ." Patient A nodded and smiled . " I threw it out of kilter helping my   
granddaughter move furniture ."  
" I hope you don't mind some dust ." Tofu apologized .  
" Not at all . Nice to see you show 'em ." Patient A got to his feet . " Young   
punks think they own the world ."  
" Stand up for yourself more often ." Patient B added .  
  
  
  
" So now what ?" Akane asked her as she lugged Ryouga along .  
" Gimme some time to think ." She hissed . The incident with Tofu had shaken her   
to the bone . She always depended on her ability to read people . This time it   
had failed her utterly . She had never thought or imagined Tofu capable of even   
a snide remark , much less the furious lashing out that he had displayed only   
minutes ago . Not that he did not have good reason to lash out , it just never   
occurred to her that he could .  
" I guess we regroup and come up with some sort of plan to find Ranma ...." She   
said . And it sounded lame even to her own ears .  
  
  
(end part two)  
  
  
  
Part three  
  
  
" Hey , Piro , who is that guy ?" She pointed up at the sea cliff , where a   
lone figure sat .  
" Oh him ." Piro shrugged . " He's always up there . I think he's camped out   
somewhere nearby ."  
" Maybe he's some sorta wise man ?" Largo shaded his eyes with a hand and   
squinted at the distant figure . " You know , they always sit at the top of   
cliffs and mountains . Ready to dispense the wisdom of the ages to whomever has   
the fortitude to climb !"  
" Largo ..." Piro warned .  
" I'm gonna ask him something !" Largo announced and ran off for the cliff .  
" Seraphim ?" Piro asked .  
" Letting him fall to his death would be bad and you know it ."   
" Damn ..." Piro hung his head and started off after his friend .  
So the duo reached the base of the cliff and began their ascent . The stone   
was sharp and treacherously slippery . But after a hour's worth of hard and   
hazardous climbing they reached the top .  
To find a young teen sitting on a patch of grass , listening to his CD   
player and watching them with a questioning expression .  
" Oh wise man of the cliff we come to ask you for your wisdom !" Largo kowtowed   
to the young man .  
" Umm...hi ." Piro waved sheepishly .  
The young man slowly took off his headphones and pressed stop on his CD   
player .  
" Oh wise one , I beseech you to tell me the secret of women !" Largo bowed once   
more .  
" Simple ." The young man said solemnly . " Go to China , find the cursed   
springs of Junsenkyo and hop into the one called 'spring of drowned girl' ."  
" Oh thank you wise one !" Largo bowed again and was about to start climbing   
back down the cliff when the young man spoke again .  
" You do know there is a paved road up to here just a little ways behind me ,   
right ?"   
Largo almost fell off the cliff .  
" Um...how will that spring teach Largo about women ?" Piro asked .  
" He'll walk more than one mile in a women's shoes ." The man replied . " Or   
whatever philosophical phrase you want ."  
" Eh ?" Largo blinked at the last statement .  
" Observe ." The man took a canteen from the pack nearby and splashed some water   
on his head .  
Now they were looking at a petite red head girl where the young man had been   
only an instant ago .  
" Alright Largo , off to China we go with you !" Seraphim cackled .  
Largo merely screamed and ran down the path the young man...girl...or   
whomever had indicated before .  
" Oh..." He blinked and bowed . " Sorry to interrupt you ." He apologized , and   
started down the path after Largo's scream .  
  
  
  
" Weird people ..." She muttered to herself , uncapping the thermos . " And   
who was that little angel girl on the quiet guy's shoulder ?" He added after   
giving himself a little splash .  
Maybe it was time to move on ? After all he had spent nearly a month here ,   
  
honing his mind and the harmony between himself and the world . Time to move on   
again .  
" RANMA ! PREPARE TO DIE !" A voice Ranma had not heard in a long time screamed   
a familiar battlecry .  
Ranma turned to see Ryouga racing up the road . He was on a sea cliff , in   
front of him was the road Ryouga was running up , behind him was a sheer drop ,   
and to either side was an equally sheer drop . Lovely .  
" Been a long time Ryouga ." He stated calmly .  
" You'll pay !" Ryouga snarled as he stopped a few meters from Ranma and drew   
his fighting umbrella . " You'll pay for leaving !"  
" I had a choice ?" He asked the lost boy seriously .  
" Eh ?" Ryouga blinked , confused by the unexpected response .  
" I almost died Ryouga . You were there . Once they got the truck off of me how   
did I look ?" He knelt and packed his CD player into his knapsack .  
The lost boy could not help but shudder at the memory . " Shut up ! You're   
fine ! Now fight me !"  
" After you were caught by one of your family booby traps how long did it take   
you to recover to where you were before the accident ?"   
" A few weeks ." Ryouga shrugged .  
" And you were able to walk the same day as the accident ." Ranma stated . " If   
you were walking wounded and it took you that long , what about me ? I could not   
even walk for months . How weak do you think I still am , Ryouga ? Even after   
all this time you could kill me with only one swing of that thing ."  
" You're lying !"  
" Why ? To get out of a fight ? What reason would I ever have to lie to get out   
of a fight ? I never back down from a challenge I think I can win , right ? I'm   
Saotome Ranma the wild horse of chaos , laughing in the face of death and defeat   
, right ?" Ranma took a step towards Ryouga . " The wild horse loved to fight ,   
loved to risk , and always won . Until that last fight , with that last risk . I   
lost Ryouga , I gambled like I always did and I finally lost ."  
Ryouga took a step back but readied his umbrella . His eyes betrayed the   
warring conflict in his mind . Ranma took another step towards Ryouga .  
" I knew that this would happen . You , of all my old friends and rivals , you I   
could never hide from . You would find me someday . So I thought long and hard   
about how to deal with it ." Another step forward . This time Ryouga held his   
ground .  
" Would I try to run ? No , that would only delay the inevitable . Would I try   
to fight ? No , that would only ensure my death . Would I try to reason with you   
? No , that never worked in the past with any of my old friends . So , what did   
I decide on ?" Ranma took one final step , this time his chest touched the tip   
of Ryouga's umbrella .  
" I decided that I would face you . I would make sure you understood the   
situation then I would let you decide . Kill me for crimes only you see ? Or let   
a broken man go on putting himself back together ? It is your choice Ryouga ,   
because for everything else you are , you are most noble ."   
Ranma watched the eternal lost boy . In his eyes the battle between   
vengeance and mercy , both innate qualities of the boy , clashed . This was his   
chance , to forgive all and start afresh , or to kill and finally end his   
journey along this road in his life .   
The umbrella shook as Ryouga lowered it from Ranma's chest . " I could never   
kill you Ranma . Well...proverbially I could , but not really ." Ryouga stood   
and faced his old rival and friend .  
" I would like to say that I knew you couldn't . But I didn't ." Ranma stated   
evenly . " So what will you do now ?"  
" I'm going to sit down and eat , you're going to join me and tell me what the   
hell it is you've been doing and why did you run away ."   
Ranma smiled warmly . " I know you have stuff of your own , but let me treat   
you this time ." He gestured to this knapsack .  
" Just this once . I can cook better than you ." Ryouga picked a spot and sat   
down roughly .  
Still smiling , Ranma proceeded to take out the last two MREs he had .  
" Wait a second ." Ryouga held up a hand . " Those things taste awful ."  
" Not these , trust me ."  
Ryouga looked doubtful , but held his tongue this time .  
Instead he watched Ranma work .  
In a few moments Ranma handed the meal to Ryouga . Who blinked at the warm   
meal as he took it . " These don't have a self heater ?" The rice was almost   
steaming .  
" Control ." Ranma winked and dug into his own meal with gusto . Ryouga shrugged   
, taking comfort somehow in the familiarity of  
seeing Ranma scarf food .  
" Alright Ranma , what'd you do to it ?" Ryouga asked after he finished his own   
, and Ranma was continuing on with a large bag of trail mix . " MREs are never   
that good ."  
" Connections ." Ranma said between mouthfuls . " A professor I know is real big   
into camping –munch , munch- but not into cooking so –munch , munch- he told me   
where to order the good stuff –munch , munch- from ."  
" A professor ? As in a college professor ?"  
" Just a sec-munch , munch- lemme finish –munch , munch- eating ." In true   
Saotome fashion Ranma finished off the bag in record time . Then he proceeded to   
start popping various pills into his mouth as he   
pulled out a water bottle .  
" What are those ?" Ryouga tried to figure out where Ranma had produced the   
pills from .  
" Calcium –pop , swallow- multivitamin –pop , swallow- herbal mix –pop ,   
swallow- and more calcium ."  
" Huh ?"  
" Vitamins for my organs and general system . The herb mix is a prescription   
from the man who trained Tofu . The calcium , well , my bones are all nice and   
knitted , but it'll be a long time coming before they are back to their old   
density and strength . I figure , I'd better keep my body in amble supply ."  
Ryouga stared at Ranma long and searchingly before speaking again .  
" You're really weak now . It's not just in your head or nothing . You really   
couldn't fight me , could you ?" Ryouga spoke in a far away voice , as if not   
wanting to accept what he was saying .   
Ranma's smile faded , but not entirely .  
" I could have , but your first attack would have killed me . You wouldn't have   
even expected to hit me , but I'd still be very dead . Ryouga , I can't do the   
Kachu Tenshin Amiguriken anymore , the Hiryu Shoten Ha , any of it . I remember   
everything , but my body isn't there anymore . I can still see things as fast as   
I used to but I can't move fast enough to even keep up with what Akane is   
capable of in full swing . My eyes are faster than your body , but even a slow   
attack from you would be too fast for my damaged reflexes and wrecked muscles to   
deal with . My mind knows what to do but my reflexes are damaged or unreliable ,   
and my speed is almost as gone as my strength .  
" Think of the last ten years as a race . Not to do anything more than to   
state fact , but it was a race that I was winning , I was in the lead . You were   
second , and everyone else our age was so far behind it was funny . Then I had   
my accident , I gambled and lost . Bam , car Saotome just hit the haystacks and   
Ryouga takes the lead . By the time I got out of the pit even Akane is laps and   
laps ahead of me . You , you're so far ahead of me I'm not sure how to say it in   
that metaphor . I don't think I could even hurt you anymore , not even if you   
stood still for it . I used to have to punch you two hundred times just to make   
you think 'Gee that stung a little bit' . Now I can't . By the time I get back   
to where I was , everyone else will be so far ahead …and you , you'll still be   
even farther ahead of them than you are now .  
" You really could be the best martial artist of our generation , Ryouga .   
If you wanted to you really could ."  
Then Ranma gave a short chuckle before Ryouga could respond . " Anyway , I   
was supposed to tell you what I've been up to , right ?" Ranma's ghost of a   
smile broadened by a fraction . " Why did I run away ? I didn't have much of a   
choice . Back in Nerima , injury and fighting were part of my daily life . Hell   
, I even tried to return , remember the park fight ? That didn't go well . So I   
finally left Tokyo altogether when I was physically able .  
" First I just , wandered around . Visiting Dojos that Pop and I wanted to   
but never got around to . I met a few masters that I always wanted to . Master   
Katsumasa Yokoyama , Master Pan Qing Fu , just to name two . I talked with each   
for at least two days . Five , with this blind master called Loren . After that   
I had a pretty vague but interesting idea how to train while I wait for my body   
to get outta the negative numbers . So at first I picked a nice spot in the   
woods and just trained . I was about to go nuts after a week . Then I realized   
that you can do mental and spiritual training just about anywhere so I took a   
page from your book and just started walking in a direction I liked . I must   
have been channeling your ancestors for a while because I got so lost I thought   
I might have wandered into Korea somehow . Long and weird story short , I ended   
up in Hirohito University . I liked the campus there and had actually made a few   
acquaintances after a week . Then someone asked me what my major was . I had to   
confess I wasn't a student . So then she asked , 'why not ?' . Why not ? So I   
did some sting pulling and took the entrance exam for the summer semester . I'm   
now a student at Hirohito U. . Cool , huh ?"  
" You gotta be kidding me ? How in the hell could YOU pass a TEST ?"   
" No one to tell me that academics are unmanly ." Ranma's smile returned in full   
as he took in Ryouga's incredulous expression . " Still don't believe me ,   
lookie here ." Ranma pulled out both his student IDs from his wallet . " I had   
to have two made , in case I needed to prove my identity as a student but   
happened to be out in the rain or at the pool ."  
Ryouga examined both in detail . " Your male ID is fine but your female   
picture is awful . It looks like you're about to be ill ." The lost boy made an   
effort not to laugh at the photo as he handed the cards back .   
" A fat Thai man about one hundred fifty centimeters tall and three hundred wide   
had been hitting on me incessantly . He was describing his 'romantic' conquests   
in Thailand to me when the pic was taken . Thankfully the cameralady took him   
out before I lost my temper . I might have cracked a knuckle on his fat head ."   
After replacing the IDs Ranma continued . " Anyway , so I've been taking   
classes there now . Don't ask about high school graduation , I've already got my   
highschool equivalency . Had to have it before I could take the entrance exam .   
Now , the reason I'm out here and not there is that I'm on a week vacation , or   
at least the three days I have left . Week and a half long holiday as the mid-  
semester break . As for how I pay for it… I took out a student loan that'll   
haunt me for a few years but I think college is worth the debt."  
" Alright ….I guess I can accept that …HEY wait a sec ! Why didn't you write the   
Tendos or at least Akane you JERK !" Ryouga sprang to his feet , but halted at   
seeing Ranma's puzzled expression .  
" What the hell are you talking about Ryouga ? I wrote to Kasumi , Akane , and   
Ucchan every week ."  
" Huh ?"  
" Why do you think I haven't been writing ? Lemme dig out my latest one to   
Kasumi ." Ranma rifled through his knapsack for a moment before producing a half   
written letter addressed to Kasumi .  
" What's going on …" Ryouga mumbled to himself . " Akane is still in the   
doldrums about you leaving … She was complaining that you never called , wrote   
or anything !"   
" Hmm…I'll ask Kasumi ." Ranma whipped out a pen and started adding to the   
letter .  
Ryouga stared at Ranma . " You sure are a different person now …"  
" Thanks ." Ranma said absently as he wrote .  
  
----------   
  
This was the first time he had set foot in Nerima in months. Every nerve   
jangled with tension. Every sense more alert than if he were walking into a   
Dragon's cave. After all, this was more dangerous.   
Kasumi's letter had demanded that he return to meet her face to face so they   
could talk about how everything was going to be resolved. He had not received a   
reply since. Though he sent five letters, four begging her to reconsider and the   
fifth finally giving in.  
So he stalked the streets in broad daylight, dressed in a nondescript black   
shirt and loose blue jeans. College was taken care of for the semester, he had   
finished his finals and left immediately. But he had already enrolled for next   
semester. No way was he giving up his newfound life for old times sake.  
His heart nearly stopped when he spotted Mousse headed straight for him.   
Looking very peeved.   
" YOU! Have you seen a goddess like beauty with violet hair riding a delivery   
bike around here?" Thankfully his glasses' lenses were broken in spider web   
patterns.  
" Um…uh…er…she went thatta way?"   
" SHAMPOOOOOO!" The nearly blind boy raced off in the general direction he had   
pointed.  
" Oh, whatever gods exist, let me make through his day only being seen by   
Kasumi. Only her." He pleaded silently.  
  
  
  
  
" Kasumi, are you sure it was a good idea to have him come here?" Nabiki   
asked her. " This is a neutral ground, but it's a open café. Some raging martial   
artist could see him."  
" It's been months and nothing much has happened in Nerima without Ranma. I   
don't think that it could all stir itself up in the time he'll be here."  
" I hope you're right, but after what happened last time he came back I doubt   
it. I really do."  
" Be optimistic for once!"  
  
----------  
  
He looked left, he looked right, the coast was clear. So he sprinted to the   
next alleyway. Passersbys stared at his strange pace but continued on without   
much comment, after all this was Nerima.   
If he could make it to the damned café everything would be fine. Kasumi   
could protect him with that antiviolence field she seemed to project. But the   
café was still a block away, gotta keep moving!  
Look left, look righ-t under a cardboard box while Ukyo roof hopped   
overhead. He peeked out from under it after the count of twenty. That was a   
close one.  
Look left, look right, dash to the next alleyway. Look left, look right and   
duck behind a large group of gossiping school girls as Shampoo rode past on her   
delivery bicycle. Another close one!  
Look left, look right, just a few more dashes and he'd be there. Look left,   
look out! Zip under a parked delivery truck as Kuno marched down the street   
arrogantly swaggering. What the hell was going on?! Were they running a search   
pattern?  
Look left, look right and dash to the café and to safety! But why was Nabiki   
sitting beside Kasumi?  
" Hi." He said from his crouched position under the table.  
" Hello Ranma, it's so good to see you again." Kasumi said brightly.  
" Hi, but why are you under the table?" Nabiki asked.  
" They're all out to get me." He whispered. " I've had to dodge being seen by   
just about everyone on the way here! Are they on some kind of Ranma alert or   
something?"  
" Ooookay, let's get down to business." Nabiki prompted.  
" Ranma," Kasumi began, her tone and manner as businesslike as she could make   
them. " I wanted you here today so that we could settle things face to face,   
instead of over letter correspondence. I have been thinking about the four   
options you presented before."  
" Yeah, the day at the park." Ranma nervously glanced about as he slid into a   
chair. " So which one did you pick? Number four?"  
" Number three actually." Kasumi said gravely. " After much deliberation I felt   
that I would be the best candidate. My sisters value their freedom over honor   
too much."  
" Hey, wait a second? What's this about?" Nabiki began indignantly. " You told   
me that this was going to be about moving Ranma back in to Nerima."  
" Part of it is." Kasumi smiled apologetically at her younger sister.  
" Number three, eh?" Ranma sighed to himself. " Well I guess all I can say is-"  
" SAOTOME! You foul sorcerer! Prepare to suffer!" Kuno bellowed from behind.  
" Shit." Ranma slumped his shoulders before standing so fast his chair rocketed   
back through the air.  
Like the rising call of a wolf pack the others added their curses to Kuno's   
cries, appearing from all cardinal directions.  
" So Saotome, you're back for my dear Shampoo!"  
" I've seen hell because of you RANMA!"  
" Ranma-sama!!"  
" Ran-chan! Where've you been?!"  
" Uko-dono!"  
" Hacha! I got the cold water for you my boy!"  
" I, Pantyhose-Taro, will crush you Saotome!"  
" Finally the honor of the Musk dynasty can be cleansed with Saotome blood!"  
" Aloooo-Ha!"  
Giving both Nabiki and Kasumi a nasty 'it'll be your fault when I get   
killed' glare the young martial artist took off at a sprint.  
" Why me? Why the hell is it always meeeeeee?!" He screamed to the sky.  
The only answer that came was the varied howls from the pack that followed   
hot on his tail. Once again his heart beat inside his chest like a rapid   
drumbeat of thunder. He ran blindly, choosing direction based on which shoulder   
had the most howls closing in on it.  
He wasn't even really aware of heading up the sidewalk of the overpass until   
he tried to skid to a halt upon seeing Shampoo ride her bike along the fence   
towards him.  
" No, no, no, no, no, NO!" He chanted, fervently pushing his will against   
fate's own.  
He leapt over the two way traffic to the fence on the other side, seeking to   
get Shampoo into the pack behind him, where they would hinder her progress as   
she hindered theirs.  
Instead the young Chinese Amazon warrior leapt with her bike over the   
traffic in a display of astounding skill. A skill she had practiced many times,   
landing her bike upon people's faces.  
The tire felt all too familiar as it mashed into his face, but instead of   
feeling the fence catch him he felt it leave his feet as his back plummeted   
through the empty air. Intense fear turned to abject panic as one thought raced   
through his mind while he studied the horrified expression on Shampoo's face as   
she stood on the fence while he fell; the overpass was over three lanes of busy   
traffic.  
All sound seemed to have disappeared as time slowed to a crawl. Shampoo's   
mouth lay open in a long soundless scream, her form retreating further and   
further back as he fell.   
Then everything jerked so violently that all was a washed mess of color for   
a instant before focus resolved the white snow about him as thousands of squared   
chips of windshield. There was no pain yet, only a dull pressure about the   
entire backside of his body.  
" The safety glass windshield, it cushioned the impact." He thought in the space   
between instants.  
But the sense of pressure disappeared and he was in the void once more,   
twisting slowly through the air. Until he could see the car he had landed on,   
fishtailing about as the driver pushed the brakes harder and harder in panic.  
With each twist through the air he could see the rushing ground come up ever   
closer to him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~" Not again. How bad is it this time? TWO CARS!....nothing to be done about   
that now. Let's get to work on him while we can."  
  
  
  
Here again. The ocean above and below. But this time it did not look so   
foreboding, almost inviting. What was that in the distance? A light? No, it is a   
spire? What was a tower doing in his ocean, and why did it reach so high that he   
could not see its pinnacle?  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane. The world was a wonder if it could have her in it. Despite its pain,   
its horror, its sadness, it was worth living in. But if he tried to share it   
with her it would be taken from him. Was it worth it? To have her only to lose   
the world and her? It couldn't be. But that thought hurt so much. It hurt-  
  
-so much that he almost didn't realize he was awake finally.   
" Damn it." He murmured. The smell gave it away, the smell that only hospitals   
had. That sterile smell that hinted at the sickness that had been washed away.  
" Hello again Ranma." Tofu's young voice sounded close. " Please don't take it   
the wrong way when I say I really did not want to see you again."  
" I know. I know." He was relieved to be able to speak and nod. " I guess I   
should have never listened to Kasumi. But she always seemed apart from the   
madness, immune to it. I guess I thought that coming at her request would have   
kept…this, from happening." He sighed, feeling the pain that the deep breath   
caused. " So, how bad is it this time?"  
" You're reconstructive surgery went better than I had hoped. The main fractures   
were…" Tofu stopped. " I can tell you later, when you're ready."  
Only then did he feel the hot tears running down his face.   
" It's not that Doc. It's just that I really have to give it up now, don't I?   
Akane, Nerima, all of it. For real now…"  
" I'm afraid so Ranma. I'll be back in an hour." Tofu told him before leaving   
the room. Before leaving him to his tears.  
Ranma, the wild horse of chaos…  
  
  
  
  
(end part three)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
" Professor? Professor Saotome?"   
" I'm sorry." He shook his head as if to clear it and smiled sheepishly at the   
young graduate student before him.   
" Are you alright, Professor? You spaced out for a while after you saw the Tae   
Kwon Do class walk by."   
" I'm fine, Miss Ward." He assured the young woman.  
" Are you sure? What was it about the Tae Kwon Do class? I've never seen you   
lose focus like that."   
Very insistent girl, like most Americans. " Actually it was the last member   
of the class, the one who had his arm in a sling and a walking cast on one foot.   
He…brought back a lengthy memory."  
" Of what, an accident? That's no big deal, I broke my left arm and my left leg   
in a car accident once. No big deal."  
Very American. But he had grown used to their methods of conversation years   
ago. " Let me show you something that most of my other students know by common   
knowledge." He rifled through his desk for a moment before producing the old   
newspaper clipping he wanted. " This is why none of my other students question   
me when I speak of the emotional effects of severe injury and recuperation."  
The gaijin took the paper and squinted at it for a minute or two. Wracking   
her mind for the translation of the faded printed characters.  
" Just read the title and the caption. It's all you really need to know."  
After a moment she laid the paper down before her and looked up at him with   
eyes that wavered between disbelief and a kind of awe.  
" Tell me if this is about right. 'Saotome Ranma, hero saves two girls at cost   
of himself.' With the caption reading 'The man shaped crater left by the impact   
of the vehicle upon the young teen.'. You were hit by an eighteen wheeler?"  
He gave her a moment's pause before answering. " A fully loaded one, and I   
could not even walk for months. Before that accident I had been a martial artist   
of some renown. I actually jumped across the intersection from the opposite   
sidewalk to save those two sisters. A few months after my release from the   
hospital I was accidentally knocked off a bridge during a fight between some of   
my friends. That time I was only hit by two normal cars."  
" I don't believe it!" The grad student exclaimed, staring at the old photo   
print. " But you can still move great! Ryunosuke even says that you're the best   
martial artist he's ever seen! You shouldn't even be alive, much less in the   
condition he says you're in!"  
" As I said; this is why no one else questions my knowledge of the recuperation   
process. I know every in and out of the whole trauma."  
" I don't know what to say, professor…"  
Gently, he took the yellowed paper from her and returned it to his desk   
drawer. Shut it. Then smiled at her. " Say that you know what the next chapter   
of your dissertation is going to be about."  
" Well…"  
" I told you that you should not have junked your outline three chapters in.   
With something like this 'winging it' is not a good choice."  
" Sorry professor Saotome."  
" Now, what I would hazard to suggest would be to-"  
" Professor Saotome?" She interrupted.  
Americans…you just had to be patient with them until they were in the   
country long enough to learn manners.  
" Yes?" Although, she rarely interrupted him anymore. Not after half the class   
gasped when she spoke out of turn during lecture.  
" So sorry, but I'm still curious." She began, quite shyly, very out of   
character for her.  
" You want more detail about my accidents?" Did she think she was the first   
student to be 'dying of curiosity' about this subject?  
" Sort of…well, after your second accident how did you…" Although her command of   
Japanese was astounding for someone who had only began study of the language two   
years ago she still had a tendency, under pressure, to let her mouth get ahead   
of her mind's translating. He patiently waited for her to get the English words   
straight, translate those, and then send to her mouth.  
" I'm curious how you went from a recovering martial artist to a professor at   
this university. From what I heard you got- received your doctorate at a young   
age."   
" Twenty five." He shrugged, there had been many younger than him.  
" I'm twenty five." She sighed with a hint of frustration. " But, could you tell   
me why? Why not continue martial arts?"  
He leaned back and looked to the western painting of a American old west   
stallion bucking atop a cliff while amidst a lightning storm.  
" When I was young my given name was Ranma. The characters used to make my name   
were horse and chaos. I was Ranma, the wild horse of chaos. The undefeatable   
martial artist whose sole goal in life was to see just to what heights of skill   
and ability I could possibly arise. My father had taken me from my mother when I   
was five so he could begin my training at that age. I was barely seventeen when   
the semi hit me.  
" Needless to say that accident wiped away just about all of the years of   
training I had received. After the second accident I had to hang up my gi and   
leave behind my father, my friends, my given name, and what life I had in   
Nerima. While I no longer had marital arts I still had my university enrollment.   
So I poured all the energy I used to save exclusively for martial arts into my   
studies. Years down the way I was forced to take up martial arts again, but I   
made sure it was on my own terms. But I'll not get into that.  
" Now I have my studies, my students, my life, and my martial arts. I think   
that this time of my life is the happiest. I may not have all I wish, but I have   
all a need and more than I ever expected. I did not used to be, but now I am   
grateful for this life. It should have been taken from me twice already."  
He spent a moment longer, contemplating the brushstrokes of the painting he   
had purchased in New York, the painting to remind him of the past. Before   
looking back to his student. " So, do you know what you want to do next chapter?   
The last one I read was pretty open ended."  
She stared at him, thoughts and emotions whirling behind her eyes. A smile   
crept onto her lips. " It'll be about the lifestyle changes of trauma victims.   
How they cope and change their lives for the better."  
" Alright, but be careful. I'm a exception, most slowly slide into the abyss.   
Please keep an alternative in mind."  
" I will, thank you professor Saotome!" With the stereotypical energy of an   
American she hopped to her feet and fairly ran from his office.  
After a moment he stood and walked to his window. Of course there was more   
than he had told her. About the little master determined to reclaim him, the   
middle Tendo daughter who practically sent a ninja force out to find him, the   
Okinomiyaki chef who only gave up on finding him after two years, the eternally   
lost friend whom he still bumped into every so often, and the girl whose tears   
at his final escape dissolved a part of his heart. A part that he would never be   
able to fully heal.  
The sun had set on those years of his youth, he had wandered the night for   
years after, but now he still basked in the first rays of the new dawn of his   
life. After the wild horse of chaos had finally been lost to his own chaos, what   
was left had to choose his own truth. Though the truth would never include   
Nerima and its dragons again, the memories of the horse rearing against the   
storm would always keep in his soul.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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